Shapes

Since my storytime participants are skewing young, I decided to try out an easy theme: SHAPES.  Holy moly was this an awesome storytime.  The kids were engaged and participating and didn’t have wandering attentions.

BOOKS:

We read Mouse Shapes by Ellen Stoll Walsh and Color Zoo by Lois Ehlert.

Mouse Shapes was great to start with – it was swift, narrative and had some action to it.  I tried desperately to do three different high-squeaky mouse voices.  I don’t think I was successful as I would have liked, but oh, well.

In between stories, I put a bunch of different shapes on our flannel board.  The kids helped me name all the shapes and their colors and then I said I would use my imagination and create something out of all of the shapes.  They made this:

A robot!  Thanks to SLC Book Boy for the inspiration!

Color Zoo was less of a reading than an interactive play.  I named the animals and the kids helped me remember what each animal sounded like (except the fox, because, really, who does know what the fox says?) and we named the shapes together.  One little girl would yell the shapes and then jump up and down and clap after.  It was ADORABLE.

SONG:

I used “Where is Triangle?” from Storytime Katie’s blog.  It’s sung to the tune of “Where is Thumbkin?” or “Frere Jacques.”

Where is triangle?  Where is triangle?
Here I am!  Here I am!
How are you today, sir?  Very well, I thank you.
Run away.  Run away.

(Repeat with circle, rectangle, square, and diamond)

CRAFT:

I gave each child a piece of white paper and a bag of different shapes and let them loose.  They made monsters and dinosaurs and birds and dogs and snowmen and all kinds of stuff.  I love love love letting them do their own thing.

This is my dinosaur.  His name is Rufus.